Freight vessel.



A. J. PEEBLES.

FREIGHT VESSEL.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. a, 190e.

Patented June 20, 1911.

SHEET 1.

2 SHEETS- Snowdon Wi h1 mozo A. J. PEBBLES.

FREIGHT VESSEL.

APPLICATION FILED HABA, 1908.

995,557, Patented June 20, 1911.

AUGUST J. PEEBLES, 0F MOLSON, WASHINGTON.

FREIGHT VESSEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 20,' 1911.

Application filed March 3, 1908. Serial No. 419,042.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUST JOHN PEE- `BLEs, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Molson, count-y of Okanogan, and State ofWashington, have invented certain 'new and useful Improvements inFreight Vessels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to freight vessels for the transportion of suchmaterials as are fluid, like oil, or grain in bulk, which are adaptedfor handling more cheaply by pumps, air compressors or elevators, thanby hand or truck.

The object of the present invention is the provision of a freight Vesselof the class set forth, wherein a novel hold-structure will be providedfor containing fluids, such as oil, grain in bulk, sand, or any otherfluid or material in bulk, which will be associated with buoyant devicesin a novel fashion, whereby the vessel will be rendered entirely stabieand seaworthy, without danger of sudden shifting of its cargo, and willalso be most satisfactorily buoyant, have great storage capacity withoutinterfering with the superstructure of the vessel, will be renderednon-sinkable and which may be of any type of craft desired and propelledby side wheels, stern wheels, or screw propellers.

The invention is set forth fully hereinafter and its novel features arerecited in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 'l is a cross-section of a vesselequipped with my improvements which is particularly intended forcarrying grain and like materials; Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof withthe superstructure removed; Fig. 3 is a crosssection of the invention asadapted for transporting liquids, such as oil, etc.; and

-Fig 4 is a longitudinal section thereof.

The superstructure of the vessel may be of any desired type and is notlimited to that herein shown and described, as my invention hasparticular reference to the storage and buoyant understructure adaptedfor use in conveying grain, liquids, or other material, fluids orsubstances, which are more readily handled by elevators or pumping or bycompressed air than by hand.

The numeral l designates a plurality of 'elongated or tubular tankswhich may be conical or conoidal at their ends 2, where they are formedinto air-tight buoyant compartments by the provision of air-tightbulk-heads 2", and these tanks are cornpletely closed except in theirupper part where they have hatches 3 for the filling or emptying of thegrain, or other material. These tanks are of metal of suitable thicknessaccording to the size of the vessel and the capacity of the tanksthemselves, and they have air-tight bulk-heads 2b located at intervals,which divide them into air-tight compartments.

interposed between the tanks l (although said tanks are, by preference,in contact side by side) and located above and below them, are air tubesor iioats 4 which are also pointed on their opposite ends as at 5. Thesetubes 4 being air-tight, are very buoyant and constitute air-tightcompartments, as it were, and their disposition and number gives ageneral balancing buoyant effect to the tanks l and on thesuperstructure ofthe vessel.

The tanks and the air tubes are firmly connected together by metalfastenings 6 of any preferred kind, and others than those shown may beused so long as they render the tanks and tubes secure and seaworthy.

In Figs. 3 and 4 I have shown the tanks as specially adapted forcontaining oil and other liquids. The tanks have air-tight manholes 7 inplace of the hatches 3 and they are provided with supply and suctionpipes 8 for pumping the oil into or out of the tanks. Each pipe has itsown valve 9 so that the tanks can be independent-ly filled or emptied;the tanks also have air vent-s 10.

Dividing the tanks into compartments by separate air-tight bulk-heads,prevents sudden shifting of the oil or grain from one end of the tank tothe other on sudden stopping or starting of the vessel and enables thevessel to maintain its equilibrium. This arrangement also preventsdanger of sinking if a tank is punctured or leaks.

The submerged tanks will be practically fire-proof as the oil is belowthe waterline and they are rendered non-sinkable as the oil beinglighter than water, will remain on top if any water should enter andthus prevent water coming in at the bottom, even though a leak shouldoccur.

The air tubes, owing to their location, are protected except on thebottom and when connected by pipe with an air-pump or compressor capableof raising the pressure inside of the tubes above that of theatmospheric and hydrostatic pressures, render the vessel non-sinkable asthe higherpressure in the air tube will tend to force the Water out atany opening or puncture that might occur in such tubes.

The superstructure 11 of the vessel 'may be of any type, that shownbeing of the ordinary riverboat style with side or stern wheels.However, the present invention can be used in connection withwhale-backs for deep water navigation or with any type of stern wheel,side wheel, or screw propeller.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A freight vessel having a plurality of storage tanks extending sideby side lengthwise thereof, and buoyant tubes associated with andlocated in the intervening spaces above and below said tanks.

2. A freight vessel having a plurality of storage tanks extending sideby side lengthwise thereof, and buoyant tubes arranged in a generalalternate manner in relatlon to the Ktanks and extending lengthwisethereof.

3. A freight vessel having a plurality of storage tanks located side byside and eX- tending lengthwise thereof and adapted for partial orentire submergence, and buoyant tubes located between the storage tanksand extending lengthwise thereof.

4. A freight vessel having a storage tank provided with independent noncommunieating compartments, independent air valves for the compartments,and independent suction and supply pipes for the compartments.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

GUS J. PEEBLES.

